multiple cameras input - best choice

[zardox]

Im trying to work with multiple cameras input for M8.
Im working in a project that needs 3 or 4 cameras and 3 projections.

Using:
- MacPro 2x2.8 GHz Quad-Core
- 4 Gb memory
- 4 Graphic cards with a total of 8 outputs (4 outputs working fine with Modul8)

What i need:
At least 3 cameras should be the same model and using the same method of capturing (DV, USB or HDMI).
Performance with at least PAL resolution (720x576) or a little few (640x480)
4 outputs from Modul8, 3 of them should project the 3 cameras in realtime.

possible solutions:
- 3 DV Cams via Firewire (quicktime)
- 3 Webcams (with good res and performance - by the way: very difficult to find good cameras that work on MAC without the UVC)
- 3 HDMI inputs with a Decklink or Matrox cards (with Decklink that is no slots avaiable in my MacPro, 3 Matrox sould be very expensive for this)
- 3 USB Cards like easycap dc60+ with composite video input
- 3 IP Cams

Tried out different solutions:

- 2 DV Cams via FireWire 400
- 2 Webcams (Logitech 9000 Pro and another one with UVC) with very poor performance
- 1 webcam iSight from a macbook (good but fixed to the screen)
- 3 USB capture with roxio easy VHS to DVD for MAC with VideoGlide (just can see one camera input the others are pink) with many camera combination (mini-DV, HDV, DVCam)
- many other usb cameras

The best choice should be the firewire but Quicktime just select one stream, and cant have more dv streams in Modul8 at the same time

The USB with video glide should work, but it didn't, maybe because of the Roxio card that im using (it works well with one input)

if somebody else made some experiments please write the results here.

Its very nice that modul8 works with 4 video inputs, but if its not possible to use it, what is the trick ?

[VJnutcracker]

This issue is being discussed in this thread.

http://www.garagecube.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3951
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[lotech]

Yeah from what we've learned you'll have BUS speed issues with multiple USB capture devices, and a mix of DV & USB will give you different latency for each sort of device you use.

The best solution is using the relatively cheap BlackMagic Intensity Pro cards but you'll need 3 of them and they'll take up a PCIe port each - which will be an issue with all your GFX cards. I would try and loose 3 of the gfx cards and get a Matrox TripleHead2Go - that will give you a control screen and 3x 1024x768 feeds for you projectors.
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www.lotech.co.nz

[zardox]

Yes i know that there is another thread about this subject but is a very long thread.
I´ve also tried out a software called Wirecast and ScopeBox and booth worked with multiple dv input.
I´ve read in another forum that someone connected 4 unibrain i-Fire cameras to mac via firewire with no problem working with other VJ software VMXJ.
So, its possible to have multiple DV Streams inside MAC (more then 4 streams needed firewire card), but how to use with Quicktime or Modul8 ?

Cant have decklink because i use more than 4 outrpus in another project (and very expensive, more or less €200 x 4 = €1000 + 4 cameras €€€€ ) i need a cheap solution, like easycap DC60+ or just miniDV.

[zardox]

Ok, after some help from EchoFX (videoglide) i lowered the resolution of the camera capture from 720x576 to 320x240 and lowered the bandwidth to 50% and 25%
and i´ve got good results (using usb capture with roxio card and videoglide with MacPro)
Conclusion:

- To get more then one camera with multiple USB capture you need to lowered the bandwidth because Macs only have one or two USB controllers despite the number of usb inputs.
The same thing happens with FireWire.